The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
The main object of teaching is not to give explanations, but to knock at the doors of the mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Teaching should focus on stimulating thought rather than just providing information.
Rabindranath Tagore emphasizes that effective teaching is not merely about delivering knowledge or explanations, but about encouraging students to engage with their own minds and develop their understanding. The metaphor of 'knocking at the doors of the mind' suggests that educators should provoke curiosity and self-discovery in learners, opening the way for deeper thinking and insight.
Themes
EducationTeachingLearningMindDiscovery
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about innovative teaching methods at an educational conference.
More from Rabindranath Tagore
All quotes →Music fills the infinite between two souls. This has been muffled by the mist of our daily habits.
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The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
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If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
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To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.
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